


Falling into the Unknown

by Accioscorp



Category: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling
Genre: Albus being the best boyfriend, Brief appearance from Hagrid, Brief appearance of Ron, Diagon Alley, Family Bonding, Flashbacks to Harry Potter books, Hurt/Comfort, James and Lily love Scorpius so much, James and Scorpius friendship, Kids finally see what happened, M/M, Other, Pensieves, Potter Family Feels, Scorbus, Scorpius and Lily friendship, Sectumsempra scene, harry and draco rivalry, memories from the books, rebellious James, that handshake
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-25
Updated: 2020-05-25
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:16:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24370429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Accioscorp/pseuds/Accioscorp
Summary: After wondering what caused the great Potter vs Malfoy rivalry, Albus, Scorpius, James and Lily find an old pensieve and find out the truth about the relationship between Draco and Harry during their Hogwarts days and they become aware of some dark secrets.
Relationships: Albus Severus Potter & James Sirius Potter, Albus Severus Potter & Lily Luna Potter, James Sirius Potter & Lily Luna Potter, Scorpius Malfoy & James Sirius Potter, Scorpius Malfoy & Lily Luna Potter, Scorpius Malfoy/Albus Severus Potter
Comments: 6
Kudos: 69





	Falling into the Unknown

**Author's Note:**

> This is a fic I have spent good amount of time working on and one I put a lot of effort into so I am very relieved to finally have it out there for people to hopefully enjoy !
> 
> TW: the sectumsepmra scene from Half Blood Prince does feature in this fic with references to blood. Just a little warning in case anyone isn't a huge fan of that content ! 
> 
> Hope you enjoy !

“James, put me down” Lily bellowed out, Albus and Scorpius’ giggles filling the air as James ran around the garden of the Potter’s house, Lily thrown over his shoulder as she tried escaping his grip. The sun shone down on them, a warm breeze keeping them from burning under the sun’s rays as they played monopoly, a muggle boardgame that had been given to Albus by his grandfather. 

They had finally finished the game after the struggle Albus and Scorpius went through to explain it to Lily and James who had never played it before and the constant explaining as the game went on. The summer holidays from Hogwarts were in full swing for Albus, Scorpius and Lily and James had another week break before the training camp with Puddlemere started for the season ahead which was creeping closer and closer. 

James eventually dropped Lily down again where the boys were sitting, tickling her sides before letting her go again. The four of them sat giggling as Albus placed all the pieces of the game back in the box and placed it to the side. Scorpius lay his head down on Albus’ lap as Albus started playing with his platinum blonde hair which was longer than usual causing his slight curls to appear which Albus secretly loved. James lay down on his front as Lily lay her head down on her older brother’s back, stretching herself out.  
“How you feeling about the training camp Jamie?” 

Albus said lifting his head up from his gaze down at Scorpius to face his brother. James had recently signed a deal to become Puddlemere’s newest chaser which was always his dream, and everyone had been so excited for him when the news came out. James went on to talk about how he was nervous but mainly excited to get started and actually get on a broom again since they had been given strict warnings to not fly until the training camp started in case they got injured by being foolish before the season started. 

The relationship between Albus, James and Lily had strengthened so much over the past two years. They had fixed their relationship entirely and were closer than they had ever been. They spent all the time they could together which was limited due to James no longer being at Hogwarts anymore so Albus and Lily spent all the time they could with him when they were home. 

Over the past two years, Scorpius had grown closer to James and Lily as well which made Albus incredibly happy. At Hogwarts Albus, Scorpius and Lily were always hanging out with each other. They would always study together in the library where Scorpius would help Lily with any homework she was struggling with or hang out at the lake when classes finished for the day.

Lily loved Scorpius and had no problem fighting anyone who even looked at him the wrong way which always made Albus smile because someone loved Scorpius as much as he did and would also go to the lengths of physically fighting someone for him. James had also developed a soft spot for Scorpius over the years. They got on incredibly well, especially since Scorpius made the quidditch team in his fifth year. They’d spend ages talking about quidditch tactics and the latest signings for various teams. It was so nice to see they had become such a tight group after many years of strained relationships.  
The sat chatting about everything from the exams Albus, Scorpius and Lily had just finished to arguing over which weird sisters song was the best. Times like this were the best where none of them had any worries and they could just be kids. Sitting in the garden without any cares was exactly what they all needed. They sat in silence, the birds chirping in the trees towering above them and the distant chatter of Ginny and Ron talking in the kitchen the only noise that could be heard. 

James started giggling which pulled everyone from the daydreams they were currently in. All eyes landed on him where he was looking at Albus and Scorpius laying together being adorable as usual.  
“What’s so funny?” Albus said, looking at James with confusion. James sat up from his laying position, still giggling before saying 

“I still find it crazy after so many years that a Potter and a Malfoy became best friends, let alone a couple. Who would have ever thought?”.

Albus once again looked down at Scorpius who was smiling up at him, his eyes crinkling as he smiled which was one of Albus’ weaknesses. Scorpius always looked so adorable when he smiled like that. It was quite remarkable that they had such a deep and emotionally connected relationship which they had ever since they first met all those years ago on the Hogwarts Express. No one had expected them to become friends and it was always a shock to everyone that they had. A Potter and a Malfoy would have never been a friendship anybody would have expected to blossom at Hogwarts but here they were, six years later being not only each other’s best friends but now boyfriends. 

“It is quite weird isn’t, considering how much dad seemed to hate Draco back in those days. I thought he would have put a stop to this friendship before it even began” Albus said, messing with Scorpius’ hair once again.

Scorpius piped up saying “I for one am glad he didn’t” before leaning up and giving Albus a peck on the lips. Albus’ cheeks went red as he still wasn’t used to kissing Scorpius around his siblings even though they really didn’t care. 

“I’ve always wondered what started such a big rivalry between our dad’s” Lily said looking at Scorpius. Scorpius shrugged his shoulders, sitting up from laying on Albus’ lap before saying “I tried asking dad before, but he just said that he and Harry didn’t really see eye to eye. He wouldn’t tell me exactly why they didn’t like each other”. 

It had always been a mystery to the potter kids and also Scorpius to why their fathers had such a rivalry over the years. Albus had even tried asking Ginny to see if she wouldn’t tell him anything other than they just didn’t really like each other. 

“Uncle George once told me that Draco was turned into a ferret after he and dad had an argument but that’s the only thing I have heard” Lily said causing everyone’s heads to turn and look at her.  
“A ferret?” Albus said, hiding the amusement in his voice. Lily went on to tell them the story that their uncle had told her which caused them to double over laughing. Scorpius then spoke up saying “Dad did once tell me that he had two friends dressed up as dementors to scare Harry during a quidditch match”. He also went on to explain the story his dad had told him and what he knew about it.  
“I’d love to find out what happened between them to cause such a hatred for so long” James said standing up and stretching his legs. Everyone shared their agreement to being curious.

“Any chance there’s a time turner lying around anywhere we could use to go back in time and find out” Lily said causing Albus and Scorpius to roll their eyes. They were never living that down anytime soon anyway. “I bet Uncle Ron would tell us” Albus said, signalling towards the kitchen where he could still be heard. “He’s probably been warned not to tell us anything by Aunt Hermione” Lily said, which was probably true. 

There was another silence as like everyone was trying to come up with some sort of idea to find everything out. “It would be great if we could get inside their heads and see for ourselves what happened” Albus said, sighing as he gave up on thinking, resting his head on Scorpius’ shoulder who was now sitting beside him as they leant against the tree. 

Out of nowhere James gasped and sat down beside them once again, gesturing for them all to move in closer in case any adults would hear them. 

“There might be a way to go into their heads and see what happened, well at least go into dads anyway” James said, a cheeky smirk appearing on his face like the exact one he would have when he came up with the perfect idea for a prank with their cousin Freddie. He continued on by saying “I know for a fact that dad stores the majority of his memories in vials in case they are ever needed, I bet you 100 galleons that those memories from Hogwarts are in there somewhere”. 

James definitely had something going for him with that idea. Harry kept a lot of his memories in vials so he could have them all in a safe place and also in case any of them were needed for cases he had to deal with at work. “You’re not wrong Jamie but where would we even find a pensieve, I don’t think we have one here.” Albus announced but James was one step ahead of him.

“That’s where you’re wrong Al, dad hid the pensieve down in the basement in hope that none of us would stumble across it since we aren’t actually allowed down there so all we have to do is gather the correct vials from dad’s office upstairs and sneak down to the basement without being seen” James said, standing up once again, pacing around as his plan came together.  
Albus, Scorpius and Lily sat listening to James, quite impressed with his ability to formulate such well thought out plans as quickly as he could. It did explain why James was the prankster among the Potter kids and not Lily or Albus. 

“So, what do we think? Shall we get to it and find out what actually happened between those two?” James said, his cheeky grin still prominent on his face alongside a look of determination to get up to some mischief. 

Albus, Lily and Scorpius all looked at each other. They really had nothing to lose by going ahead with James’ plan. 

“I’m in” Lily said excitedly, jumping up to stand beside her brother. They both looked down at Albus and Scorpius who were still both sat holding hands under the tree. Albus rolled his eyes before dropping Scorpius’ hand, standing up and saying “Ok but if we get into trouble I’m blaming you” pointing directly at James trying to be as serious as he could be.  
James pulled Albus into his side, messing up his already messy hair which caused Albus to elbow him in the side lightly to try let himself free which James eventually gave in to.

“What if we get caught?” Scorpius said, standing up looking kind of worried. Scorpius had made sure over the past number of years to stay as far away as he possibly could from trouble after their little adventure in their fourth year. James moved towards him, placing a hand on his shoulder, and giving it a reassuring squeeze.

James then spoke up saying “You’re with the biggest prankster Hogwarts had seen in years who got caught grand total of three time throughout his time there by good old Minnie”. 

Lily butted in sarcastically asking was it not six times which caused a laugh to escape Albus’ lips and James to send a death glare their way. He continued on by saying “We won’t get caught. Just follow my lead and we’ll be fine; I’ll handle any questions”. Scorpius seemed convinced that they would be fine and replied with an ok which led to James pulling him in for a side hug whilst quietly celebrating.  
James led them into the house, Albus and Scorpius walking hand in hand as Lily walked beside James. As they entered the kitchen James shouted to Ginny and Ron who were now sitting in the living room that they were all going to go chill in his room because it was getting too hot outside. They ran up the stairs, by passing James’ bedroom and headed towards Harry’s office which was located at the opposite end of the hall. James pushed open the door which was surprisingly not locked even though Harry mostly made sure it was to stop the kids getting in. 

When they were all inside, James closed over the door before flopping down on Harry’s huge office chair and spinning around on it. The office was filled with piles and piles of different pieces of parchment and files which none of them even dared to go near. They may have been rebellious, but they would never dream of messing with something as important as Harry’s work even if they were tempted.

Lily was looking at the many pictures that their dad had placed in frames on the walls of the office. There were pictures of all the kids when they were younger, pictures of him and Ginny which Lily found adorable and also various pictures of their extended family and friends. 

James spoke up saying “I know he keeps them in here somewhere, but I have no idea where so we’re just going to have to search all these cabinets and hope we find them”. Everyone agreed and started looking through the various cabinets that were around the room, searching each shelve for any sign of the vials. After at least ten minutes, there was still zero signs of any vials. 

They were now sat around the office trying to think of where else Harry would have the vials hidden. Scorpius was walking around looking at various pictures that were placed on the wall.  
He reached a long picture which was from Harry and Ginny’s wedding day which he thought looked abnormally bigger than any other pictures that were present in the office. As James, Lily and Albus brainstormed between them, Scorpius reached up and carefully removed the picture from the wall. The rest of them were wondering what he was doing and they all gasped when Scorpius stood back, the painting in his hand. Behind the frame was numerous shelves that were sunken into the wall. James stood up, jumping over Lily who was sat down on the ground and pulled out the shelves, being careful not to break anything. 

On the shelves stood rows and rows of vials, all different colours and sizes. All of them stood around, gazing at what looked like at least a hundred vials all placed perfectly beside each other. James and Lily took out a few, reading the labels on them. There were so many memories, all of different events and involving numerous amounts of people. As Scorpius started looking at the memories, he noticed that harry had sorted them in a specific order. 

“Here’s the Hogwarts ones” Albus said spotting a section of the shelf that seemed to be filled with random memories of Harry’s years at Hogwarts. The labels were written in Harry’s messy handwriting, but they were still able to read them. They came across memories of Harry’s first quidditch game, his first meeting with Ron and Hermione, the Triwizard tournament which made Albus and Scorpius shiver. 

Lily picked up a vial, a smile appearing on her face. “This one says it’s the first time dad and Draco met” she said, stretching out her arm to show the others the vial. James took the vial from Lily, looking at the label. He placed it in his pocket to keep it safe to bring to the pensieve.

They eventually found more and more vials which included Harry and Draco. Some of these were labelled “Malfoy’s denied handshake” and of course “Malfoy the ferret” which was tempting to bring down.  
They decided to just go for the first two vials they found first. James decided that him and Lily should head down first and Albus and Scorpius follow them down after a few minutes so there was less chance of them all getting caught if they all tried to sneak into the basement together. James and Lily left as Albus and Scorpius decided to look through the vials for anymore that may give them the answers they were looking for. Albus came across one with the label “Sectumsempra”. It sounded like a spell but Albus had never heard of it. 

“Hey Scorp, have you ever heard of the word Sectumsempra?” Albus questioned, holding the vial out for Scorpius to look at the label. Scorpius read the label over and over. He looked as lost as Albus did at the word. “It looks like a spell, but I’ve never heard of it” Scorpius said handing the vial back to Albus. “I’ll bring it down with us and we can find out” Albus said, placing the vial in the pocket of his hoodie. They looked through the remaining vials but the only other one they could find that seemed to link any way to Draco was one labelled “Malfoy Manor”.  
They decided to leave it there and come back another day to watch it and they both pushed the shelf back in and placed the frame back on the wall so if anyone came in as they were in the basement, there would be no evidence that they were ever in there. 

Albus and Scorpius made their way down the stairs into the basement where James and Lily were stood waiting for them. They had found the pensieve in a cabinet in the back corner of the basement and had dragged it out into the middle of the floor. Albus was still thinking of what Sectumsempra could be so decided to ask Lily and James if they had any idea which they did not. James said that they would watch it after they watched the first ones, they found to see what it was as he was also as intrigued as Albus and Scorpius were. 

James took the first vial labelled “Diagon Alley / First meeting with Malfoy” out of his pocket. All of them moved closer to the pensieve, apart from Scorpius. Albus turned to look at him and could see fear in his eyes. Albus walked back to where Scorpius was standing, taking his hands in his before saying “You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to Scorp.”. 

It wasn’t that Scorpius didn’t want to do it. He did want to, but he was scared to see for himself what his dad was like at Hogwarts. He had heard so many stories of his dad being a horrible, nasty person back then and he never wanted to believe it. He thought his dad was amazing and he was scared to see a different side to him, possibly a Draco like the one he had encountered in the dark timeline he was stuck in a few years ago. 

“I do want to Al it’s just scary. I don’t know if I am ready to see that version of my dad again” Scorpius said, his voice a little shaky as he spoke. “It’ll all be ok Scorp, you don’t have to worry about that, and you know that isn’t your dad now, he isn’t like that and I don’t think he would have been like that back then either”. Albus said, rubbing Scorpius’ cheek to comfort him. Scorpius gave Albus a little smile and took his hand as they both headed over to the pensieve to join James and Lily. 

“Everyone ready?” James said as he took the lid off the vial and got ready to pour the memory into the pensieve. Everyone nodded and Albus gave Scorpius’ hand that was still intertwined with his, a little squeeze as James started to pour the memory into the pensieve. The clear iridescent glow of the pensieve started to turn a light blue colour before other colours started appearing making what looked like a scene as it swirled around the stone bowl of the pensieve. When it eventually stopped swirling, James gave everyone one last look to make sure everyone was ready and one by one, James first, followed by Lily and then Albus and Scorpius placed their head into the pensieve, and they were pulled into the memory. 

It felt like nothing they had ever experienced before. It felt completely different to travelling in time to Albus and Scorpius. Lights flashed and images flew past them as they fell into the memory. Albus was sure he could hear Lily laughing like she was thoroughly enjoying falling with no idea when they would stop. Scorpius had reached out and grabbed Albus’ hand as they continued to fall. Eventually they all landed quite softly on the ground thankfully and stood up, dusting themselves off and fixing their clothes.

They were in the middle of a crazily busy Diagon Alley which looked strangely similar to what it looked like now a days even though there were many years in the difference. All the shops looked the same, the one significant difference being Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes was not yet present at the end of the street. All the shops looked the same, some shop fronts only having very slight differences to what they look like now. 

Lily was looking around in awe like she had never been in Diagon Alley before as Scorpius was standing very close to Albus like he was terrified of what was about to happen. James called them over to where he was standing at the entrance to Gringotts. When they reached him, he explained mainly to Albus and Lily because he knew Scorpius would already know that they could not be heard or seen when watching a memory, so they didn’t have to hide or stay quiet. 

“Guys look who it is” Lily said excitedly hitting James and Albus as she pointed. In front of them stood a very familiar looking Hagrid who had most definitely not changed over the years. He was still as tall as ever and had his pink umbrella that always stood in the corner of his hut back at Hogwarts tucked under his right arm. A tiny boy who barely reached Hagrid’s knee with incredibly messy hair, dressed in clothes that looked at least four sizes too big for him stood beside him. The boy looked around in amazement at Diagon Alley just like every child did when they made their first visit.

The little boy looked their way, and everyone gasped. “It’s dad” Albus said, shock in his voice. They had seen a very little amount of Harry in his childhood and it took them all by shock to see what their dad looked like when he was eleven years of age. They were pulled from their shock as memory Hagrid and Harry started walking down Diagon Alley. James took Lily’s hand and started walking after them, followed by Albus and Scorpius. 

They walked down the cobbled street of Diagon Alley, keeping as close as they could. They tried to avoid bumping into anyone as they followed Harry and Hagrid even though they could not be seen. The street was filled with excited kids running around most likely getting ready for the new school year. They watched as Harry and Hagrid kept walking, eleven year old Harry looking around in awe like this place was the most amazing thing he had ever seen. 

James put his hand out to stop them as Harry and Hagrid stopped outside Madam Malkins. They couldn’t hear what was being said due to them being a little away from them but Hagrid then headed off in another direction as Harry looked at the sign that was fitted at the top of the shop before pushing open the door and heading inside. They four of them picked up their pace to make sure they made it through the door, not knowing if they would be able to actual open the door since this was a memory. 

They made it in and to no surprise, Madam Malkins looked very similar to what it did these days. Rows and rows of different materials and robes hung from floor to ceiling in all houses and the simple Hogwarts one for the first years. They moved closer to where Harry was stood talking to Madam Malkin herself, still looking like this was all a dream. They could hear her asking Harry is he was for Hogwarts and that there was another boy currently getting fitted for his Hogwarts robes as well. 

They once again followed as Harry and Madam Malkin made their way towards the back of the shop. Everyone turned to face Scorpius as he let out a gasp. “That’s my dad” he said, pointing at the young boy that was stood getting fitted for robes. They all looked and by no doubt, that was most definitely a young Draco Malfoy. It was quite shocking how similar he looked to Scorpius at that age. He wasn’t as tall as Scorpius was at eleven, but they looked the exact same in every other sense. Scorpius seemed quite shocked to be standing there looking at his dad and also quite shocked that they looked like the same person. They once again moved closer to listen in to what was happening. 

They listened in as Draco talked and talked about quidditch and what house he would be put in. Harry seemed to have no idea what anything Draco was talking about meant which was fair since it had only been mere hours since he found out he even was a wizard. Draco then went on to say how he thought “the other sort” shouldn’t be allowed into Hogwarts which caused Scorpius to flinch as Albus rubbed his arm to comfort him. 

Just as Draco asked Harry his surname and Madam Malkin announced Harry was finished, the memory started to fade away and the four of them were being pulled out and back to reality. They all landed at the pensieve in the same places they were when they entered it. There was silence for about a minute as everyone worked out what they had just seen. Scorpius and Albus sat down on the worktop that Harry had in the basement which they guessed was never used as James and Lily sat down on the ground. 

“Well there was nothing really wrong with that interaction so that hatred couldn’t have sparked from there” James said which was very true. Yes, Draco had made the comment about muggleborns, but Harry wouldn’t have even known what he meant by the term and everything else he said was fine. He just seemed to be another kid who was excited to get to Hogwarts. “Seemed like a pretty ok first meeting to me, well apart from the muggleborn comment but dad wouldn’t have even known what that meant” Albus said, looking at Scorpius who nodded in agreement. 

“We know now it definitely didn’t start from their first meeting so we can cross that off” Lily said causing everyone to agree. She then went on to say, “Should we watch the next one?”. James put the vial of the first memory into the pensieve, collecting it and placing the lid back on before taking the next one which was something about a handshake out of his pocket. “I couldn’t even begin to guess what this means” James said as he poured it into the pensieve and placing the empty vial into his pocket, so he didn’t lose it. 

Everyone ready?” Albus said, looking at everyone and waiting for the nod of approval. Scorpius gave him and nod with a little smile and Albus threw a wink back at him, taking his hand in his once again. They all stood around the pensieve once again, one by one placing their heads into the pensieve and being pulled into the memory. The falling sensation still felt as weird as the first time, different images floating around them making up the scene of the memory around them. As like last time they landed softly as they took in their surroundings.

They were stood in a compartment on the Hogwarts express as it travelled through the countryside most likely on its first journey to Hogwarts for the year. Accompanying them in the compartment was again a young Harry and also an eleven year old Ron Weasley. The compartments looked exactly the same to what they looked like now a days, but the seats were nowhere near as beaten up as they were now.

Even though there was six people crammed into this one compartment or well four people and two memory people, it was quite roomy. James sat down on one of the seats of the compartment and the others followed suit. The seats were covered in various sweet wrappers and boxes which they pushed aside to made room for them to sit. They watched on as little Harry and Ron talked about stuff like Ron’s many siblings and Quidditch which like in the last memory, Harry had no clue about anything. 

All their heads turned towards the door as it slid open to reveal once again a very young looking Draco alongside two other boys who looked a lot older than Harry, Ron and Draco which James, Lily and Albus didn’t recognise. Scorpius seen the confusion as they tried to work out who they were, so he spoke up saying “That’s Crabbe and Goyle. There were dad’s friends at Hogwarts. Crabbe was killed at the battle of Hogwarts”. The rest of them seemed to be less confused now as they watched on as Draco stood into the compartment. 

“Is it true? They’re saying all down the train that Harry Potter’s in this compartment. So, it’s you, is it?” Draco said looking at Harry. There was a different tone to his voice that hadn’t been there in the previous memory. A sharpness and nastiness to it which caused Scorpius to wince in his seat beside Albus. Draco seemed like a different child to them, the type that sounded exactly like the description they had heard in so many stories over the years. 

They listened in as Draco introduced Crabbe and Goyle before going on to introducing himself. He had this assertiveness and coldness to his voice as he talked, one that could be still found in his voice at times these days. They then watched as Draco insulted Ron about his family which caused James’ hand to curl into a fist like he wanted to take a swing at memory Draco. Albus knew Scorpius wasn’t enjoying watching his dad be so rude and nasty. He rubbed circles with his thumb on Scorpius’ hand as he leaned in, whispering in his ear that it was only a memory. 

Draco then went on to say “You’ll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don’t want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there”. He stretched his hand out in Harry’s direction, offering a handshake. There was a silence in the compartment as they watched Harry look at Draco’s hand still stretched out in front of him before Harry broke the silence saying “I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks”. They all let out a gasp as they noticed Draco slowly take away his hand, his cheek turning a light shade of pink. 

All of them were shocked at Harry’s response but James, Lily and Albus felt a sort of pride for their dad at such a young age standing up and not accepting Draco’s handshake. Draco then went on to tell Harry he should be careful and there was a silence when he said Harry would end up how his parents did and to keep hanging around with Ron. The four of them watched in shock as Harry and Ron stood up and they all thought a fight was about to break out there and then. They watched as Ron’s rat had a go at Goyle for trying to take a chocolate frog that was placed right beside where Albus was sat before they all left, leaving the six of them alone in the compartment again. 

The memory started to fade out and they were once again pulled back to reality and into the basement once more. There was once again a silence as they thought about what they had just experienced. That memory had showed them that Draco and Harry definitely did not see eye to eye and this rivalry between them started very early in their Hogwarts journey. Albus noticed that once again Scorpius seemed to be upset about what he had seen. Albus knew that witnessing someone you look up to and love so much act incredibly out of character for him these days could not have been easy. 

Albus stood in front of Scorpius, lifting his chin up to meet his eye before asking if he was ok. Albus knew he was just saying he was OK so Albus wouldn’t worry. Albus placed a kiss on his cheek before sitting down beside him. Lily then came over sitting beside Scorpius, throwing a smile his way. James then sat on the ground in front of them before saying “well that was an experience. I think we can say that’s where the rivalry started”. They all nodded in agreement. Scorpius then spoke up saying “I didn’t realise my dad was _that _nasty. The stuff he said to your dad and to Ron, that was horrible”.__

____

James stood up from where he was sat on the ground and made his way over to Albus and Scorpius. He placed a hand on Scorpius shoulder, giving it a squeeze before saying “It’s all ok buddy, that was all in the past. We all know your dad isn’t like that anymore and that’s what you need to focus on. What we seen there isn’t true reflection on who your dad is, and we all know that, and you need to believe that”. Scorpius gave James a little smile, looking a little better about the whole situation. 

____

Albus felt really bad for Scorpius. He knew seeing his dad act like that would have reminded him of the dark au he lived in all alone. Scorpius never said it but Albus knew that world he had seen terrified him and scarred him. He always had nightmares about it after he returned from that world and it broke Albus’ heart to see him be utterly terrified when he would wake up with Albus sat beside him, holding him close. Seeing his dad act so similarly to that Draco he seen in that world, even if it was an eleven year old still would have been horrible. 

____

They now knew that this rivalry that went on between their fathers, all surfaced due to Harry not accepting to become friends with Draco. It baffled them all that a denied handshake caused so much trouble and hatred for so many years between Harry and Draco. A hatred that last through all their school years and beyond. 

____

____

They sat in silence before James broke the silence again by saying “You still got that last memory Al?” gesturing for Albus to take the Sectumsempra vial out of his pocket. Albus took the vial out, handing it to James who read the label, a confused looked across his face once again. “I’ve definitely not heard of this before; it sounds like a spell, but I really have no idea” he said as he poured the memory into the pensieve. 

____

They were all incredibly intrigued to find out what this memory was. They all stood around the pensieve, getting ready once again preparing themselves for the almost otherworldly experience of falling into the memory. They all, one by one, placed their heads into the pensieve and began to fall. 

____

They all landed and took in the view around them. They were in Hogwarts this time and the corridor they were stood in was quiet with barely anyone around. The air around them was cold as they tried to figure out where they were. Scorpius then spoke up saying “We’re on the sixth floor. I recognise that painting”. 

____

They had no idea how Scorpius knew that so quickly, but they decided to not question it. Just as they were about to head through the door that was situated in front of them their gazes were thrown to a younger Harry who was much older than what they had seen in the previous memories, possibly a similar age to Albus and Scorpius.

____

He looked quite similar, just a lot taller. He had a map in his hands that Albus recognised as the map his dad had used in his fourth year. He walked up to the huge wooden door and pressed his ear against it. James signalled for them all to do the same so they all got their place at the door, Lily and Albus crouching down due to them being the smallest as Scorpius and James leaned over them so they could all hear.

____

They all nearly fell through the door as memory Harry pushed it slightly open, revealing a bathroom. James and Scorpius were careful not to crush Lily and Albus below them. They all walked in behind Harry, once again not having to worry about being quiet. 

____

They were met by an incredible tall and skinny, blonde haired boy who had his back to them which they all instantly recognised to be Draco. It was once again a shock to see how close young Draco resembled Scorpius. They were almost the same person. Memory Draco had his head bowed down, leaning against a sink as quiet sobs filled the silence of the room. A high pitched voice appearing from nowhere caused all of them to jump in fright. 

____

They spun their heads to look, Lily gasped as their eyes settled on moaning myrtle who was floating in one of the cubicles. Albus and Scorpius both looked at each other, memories of their encounter with Myrtle flooding back to them as they both shivered. 

____

“Tell me what’s wrong …. I can help you” Myrtle said causing Draco’s head to lift slightly. “No one can help me. I can’t do it… I can’t… It won’t work… and unless I do it soon…he says he’ll kill me” memory Draco said, sobs causing his body to physically shake as he stood rooted to the sink. The statement caused all of them to freeze, Scorpius gasped as he moved closer to Albus, trying to stop the tears that were threatening to escape his eyes as Albus wrapped an arm around his waist to show his comfort. Albus knew that statement scared Scorpius. Scorpius had known that Voldemort had set out a task for his dad when he was younger but Albus didn’t know if Scorpius knew the severity of the consequences if he didn’t succeed. 

____

They continued watching as Draco looked into the mirror, his eyes bloodshot and deep blue bags under his eyes and his skin looking even paler than usual. They watched as Draco caught Harry's reflection in the mirror, turning to face him with his wand already pointed out. Even though they couldn’t be seen, all four of them ran back and hit into the wall, Lily grabbing onto James’ arm and Scorpius hiding behind Albus. Before any of them could think, hexes and curses started flying everywhere. 

____

Different coloured sparks, lighting up the dark bathroom as they watched Harry and Draco throw spell after spell at each other. Scorpius half covered his eyes, not particularly wanting to see his dad get thrown around by the spells Harry was firing his way but also wanting to see what was happening. 

____

They could hear Myrtle screaming and telling them to stop which had no impact on the two boys who were deep into their small battle now. All their eyes went wide, a small “NO” escaped Albus’ lips as Draco raised his wand and started saying “Cruci-” before he was silenced by Harry pointing his wand at him and screaming “SECTUMSEMPRA”. It was like the world started moving in slow motion as the four of them watched the spell hit Draco who had no time to dodge it and then watched as he collapsed to the floor, blood covering his pale white skin and shirt. 

____

Lily started crying as she hid behind James who pulled her in and covered her eyes, so she didn’t have to see anymore. Scorpius was frozen to the spot, staring down at his dad who was lying motionless on the wet ground due to the pipes bursting during the fight, the scarlet blood from his wounds, running into the pools of water. Scorpius snapped out of his daze and screamed, falling to the floor as Albus dropped down beside him, wrapping his arms around the boy who was sobbing uncontrollably. They continued to watch, all but Lily who was still firmly hidden behind her older brother as Harry ran towards Draco. The silence was filled by Myrtle screaming “MURDER IN THE BATHROOM” as Harry knelled in the pool of blood surrounding Draco’s limp body. 

____

They were pulled from their gaze at Harry and Draco as the door slammed open, causing them to jump as none other than Severus Snape barged into the bathroom. They watched as he pushed Harry aside and started muttering some spell that they could barely hear as he traced his wand across Draco’s body. They had no idea what was happening, but it looked like the blood that was almost gushing from the various wounds across Draco’s body started to subside and then started to close up. They watched as Snape lifted Draco up from the floor, not having the ability to support himself as Snape whispered to him that he needed to go to the hospital wing. 

____

Scorpius was still shaking in Albus’ arms as they continued to watch Snape carry Draco from the bathroom before he turned to Harry and said, “And you, Potter… you wait here for me”. Snape and an almost lifeless Draco made their way out of the bathroom as all their gazes turned to Harry was rooted to the spot, blood from Draco’s wounds having soaked his uniform. 

____

His face was pale as his hands shook by his side. Scorpius’ sobs seemed to increase as Albus pulled him in closer, rubbing his back and placing small kisses on top of his head as he attempted to comfort him. The sound of Moaning Myrtles crying or more like her screaming was the last thing they all heard as they started to be pulled back out of the memory and back to reality. 

____

They all landed back in the basement of the Potter household. Scorpius collapsed to the ground again, still crying uncontrollably. It broke Albus’ heart to see him this way. He had just witnessed his own father almost be killed and it was Albus’ dad who casted the spell. He had just witnessed his dad at what was probably his most vulnerable and he wasn’t able to do anything to help. 

____

Albus just held him close, continually telling him that it was ok and that everything was fine. James had calmed Lily down and casted muffliato so no one upstairs could hear them. James and Lily sat on the ground beside Albus and Scorpius and tried their best to help in comforting Scorpius. 

____

After about ten minutes, Scorpius had calmed down. His sobs had softened, and he wasn’t shaking near as much as he had been. They sat in silence. No one knew what to say or where to even start. What they had just witnessed had no words to explain. Albus felt guilt flow over him along with anger.  
He stood up and started pacing around the room as Lily moved closer to Scorpius who had placed his head down on her shoulder as she ran her hand through his hair. He was furious at his dad for what he had just witnessed. He had just watched his dad almost kill someone; how could he not be mad even of it was more than twenty years ago. He did it when it was clear that Draco was at his most vulnerable. What type of “hero” does that? 

____

He eventually sat back down beside James and placed his head in his hands. He could feel tears welling up but refused to let them fall. James placed a comforting hand on Albus’ back which caused Albus to fight back the tears even more. He didn’t know how James and Lily felt about it. He didn’t know if they were as angry at their father as he was at this moment. He doubted they were, but he didn’t want to ask or didn’t know how to ask. They sat in silence once again. It was a painful silence as they all, just relived the memory over and over. 

____

It was a shock to them all when Scorpius was the one to break the silence. “It explains so much” Scorpius said, his voice cracking as tears streamed from his eyes once again. Albus moved to the other side of Scorpius, clutching his hand tightly as he waited for Scorpius to continue.

____

“He has scars you know. All over his chest. I didn’t see them until around two years ago or maybe I did see them when I was younger and just don’t remember. He wouldn’t tell me where they were from and now…. Well now I know why. They’re from the spell ….. Sectumsempra. He didn’t want to talk about it. He must be … traumatised” He broke down again, falling into Albus’ lap as his sobs filled the basement. 

____

Albus forced his tears to stay back as he and Lily comforted Scorpius. James stood up, hitting the old ping pong table that was situated in the middle of the basement. “Why would dad do that?” he eventually said as he rubbed his sore knuckles that had come into contact with the table.

____

“Why would he use a spell like that? Why would he nearly kill someone? Why Draco? He didn’t deserve it, couldn’t he see he was already broken” James said as he then flopped down on the ground in front of them, screaming into his hands as to let the last of his anger out. 

____

Albus tried to hide the small smile that threatened to appear across his face. It warmed his heart that James also didn’t agree with their fathers actions. Scorpius sat up, wiping his face in his sleeve as he spoke up, his voice still shaky saying “It wasn’t all Harry. My da- My dad went to cast an unforgiveable curse. He went to cast crui-” Scorpius couldn’t finish the sentence. 

____

Albus squeezed his hand for reassurance. He knew talking about this was hard for Scorpius. He still felt the effects of the curse himself after what Delphi did. He settled his breath before continuing. “Your dad, he was only trying to defend himself. I think any of us would have done the same”. The silence filled the air as they all took in what Scorpius said. 

____

He was right. It had been an act of defence from Harry. Lily who had stayed reasonably quiet throughout the whole conversation then piped up saying “Scorp’s right. Dad was only trying to defend himself and I really don’t think he knew what that spell did. He looked as shocked as we did when – when it happened”. 

____

Lily was also right, Harry had looked traumatised as he looked down at Draco. They all sat in silence once more. Scorpius and Albus sat cuddling as Scorpius finally started to settle completely. James had stood up, retrieving the memory from the pensieve and placing the pensieve back where they had found it, making sure it looked like they were never even there.  
“I think that’s enough memory watching for today” he said causing laughter to fill the sombre atmosphere of the basement. “You OK little Malfoy?” James said, placing a hand on Scorpius’ knee as he crouched down in front of him. Scorpius nodded, a smile appearing on his face which was a relief to Albus. James pulled Scorpius in for a hug before standing up and saying “we should probably head back up before they go looking for us” James said gesturing up the stairs to where the adults were. 

____

He then went on to say “Me and Lils will go up first, put the memories back seeing as dad will be home soon. Follow us up in like five”. Albus and Scorpius nodded at him and Lily as they made their way quietly up the stairs. 

____

The pair were left in silence. Their breathing the only noise filling the room. Scorpius lay down on Albus’ lap, closing his eyes. Albus was sure he had completely tired himself out from his breakdown, but he couldn’t blame him. It had been terrifying to watch and it wasn’t even his own dad he had seen almost die.  
Albus played with Scorpius’ platinum blonde curls as he leaned down placing a soft kiss on Scorpius’ forehead. Scorpius opened his eyes, the redness causing Albus’ heart to break once more but the bright smile Scorpius sent his way mended it in a heartbeat.

____

“I’m sorry” Albus said, not breaking eye contact with his boyfriend. He continued on with “I’m sorry you had to witness that. I can’t even imagine how scary it was. I wished you didn’t see it”. Albus tried to hide his tears once again. He didn’t want to cry, not in front of Scorpius. Scorpius sat up, moving so he was sat in front of Albus, his legs crossed as he took Albus’ hands in his.  
“Al, honey, you have nothing to be sorry for. I wanted to see that memory just as much as you did. We didn’t know what would happen. We didn’t know – we didn’t know we would see that. It’s truly Ok. I’ll be Ok. We’ll be ok” he said as he rubbed Albus’ cheek with his thumb, leaning in to give Albus a peck on the lips.

____

Albus smiled back at Scorpius before saying “I’m sorry my dad did that to your dad. He didn’t deserve it. He was so scared, so vulnerable. It wasn’t ok for dad to do that. You never hit a man when he’s already down”. Scorpius leaned in, kissing Albus again before saying “Stop apologising Al. It’s ok. You didn’t do anything and it’s in the past. My dad, he’s fine. It’s all fine”.

____

Scorpius was right. It was in the past. Draco was fine. He had recovered (thank merlin for that). “I think we should try forget we ever witnessed that” Albus said causing Scorpius to giggle. “Agreed” Scorpius said as he stood up, helping Albus to stand up too. Albus pulled Scorpius into a hug. They stood there for what felt like infinity just holding each other. Albus inhaled Scorpius’ scent of vanilla and lavender which he loved. 

____

Being in each other’s embrace could always help them forget the worries around them. Being in each other’s arms allowed them to know they were safe and that they would always have each other. Scorpius knew he was safe in Albus’ arms, safe from the horror he just witnessed. Albus also knew he was safe in Scorpius’ arms and he never wanted to let go. They broke away from the hug and Albus looked Scorpius in the eye, a small smile appearing in both boys faces. A smile that showed the other everything was OK.

____

“We better head up before they start to wonder where we are” Albus said gesturing towards the stairs as Scorpius nodded in agreement. Albus stopped Scorpius as he started to walk off and said, “You sure you’re ok?” he said, holding Scorpius’ hands in his as he rubbed small circles on them with his thumb.

____

Scorpius nodded before saying “I’ll always be OK with you by my side, Albus Potter” as he leaned in and kissed Albus once more before they walked hand and hand up the stairs, leaving what they had just witnessed in the past, just like what their own father’s had seemed to do with their rivalry.

____

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and I truly hope you enjoyed it ! This fic was a long time in the making and one I had many doubts about so really, thank you for taking the time to read it !
> 
> As always, any comments and kudos are most appreciated and I would really love to hear what your thoughts were !
> 
> You can find me on Twitter and Tumblr under the username @accioscorp 
> 
> Thank you once again !


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